DOE
Doe is an English surname which has its origins in the British Isles, specifically England. The name derives from the Middle English word doe, meaning a female deer, and was originally a descriptive nickname given to a person who displayed qualities associated with a doe, such as gentleness, grace or timidity.
The surname can also appear spelled Do, and it is historically linked with other deer‑related surnames such as Stagg, Roe and Roebuck. These associations arise from the common Old English root da, which denotes a female deer. The spelling variations and shared etymology have resulted in a number of surnames that can, in some cases, be used interchangeably in genealogical records.
Early medieval documentation records individuals bearing the name. In the register known as “Kirby’s Quest” of 1273, a man named John le Do appears in Somerset, while another, Walter Do, is listed in Devonshire the same year. These entries demonstrate that the surname was in use across various counties in England during the late twelfth century.
In the early seventeenth century, the spelling Doe was carried by settlers to America. The earliest known American record is of a man named Thomas Doe and his wife, whose name is not recorded, who are documented as living at James Cittie, Virginia on 16 February 1623. This places the surname among the very first settler names in the New World.
The surname Doe has also been noted in legal contexts within England. Historical accounts suggest that the name was once used to denote a plaintiff presenting a claim for wrongful possession. Additionally, its origin has been described as a metronymic – a surname derived from a mother rather than a father. In the Middle Ages, this was occasionally the case when a father died during a mother’s pregnancy, resulting in the child bearing the mother’s name. While patronymic surnames were more common, metronymics such as Doe were by no means unheard of.
Typical given names associated with the Doe surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Amanda
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Jane
- Janet
- Julie
- Karen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Miranda
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Doe in...
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There are approximately 3,749 people named Doe in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,481st most common surname in Britain. Around 58 in a million people in Britain are named Doe.
Surname type: Nickname
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Doe
- Bob Doe - Flying ace (1920 to 2010)
- Scott Doe - Football player
- Michael Doe - Bishop of Swindon
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.